The 23-year-old actor opened up to the glossy about how the role came to him and what he really thought of Beautiful Creatures at first glance.

“I thought it was just a rip-off of all those other teen movies,” he shared, adding that he went on to read for the role of Ethan Wates when Jack O’Connell dropped out. “So I did, and after three pages, I knew I wanted to do the movie.”

Alden added, “The magic in the film isn’t for spectacle; it’s an expression ow what these people are going through emotionally.”